Diablo III: For Casual Non-Gamers?

Bashiok popped up on NYE to answer a little fan survey about Diablo III, with some “something for everyone” type PR-friendly replies. The questions are in white; his replies are in blue.

Gender: M

Age: 29

To whom does this game most appeal; nongamers or gamers?Answer: Those labels don’t really mean anything to me, but I think it can appeal to a wide range of people. I don’t think it would ever hit the mass market of something like a PopCap game, but that’s also not what we’re aiming for. It’s a sequel in the Diablo franchise. BUT, because of fairly simple controls I think it has a very simple learning curve and a broad range of people can get into it. Simple to learn, difficult to master.

What gaming mood best suits this title; casual or hardcore?Answer: Again with the labels! I think you could buy the game, finish it on normal difficulty, and have a great time. But if you keep playing, that’s where the real game is, and that’s what we’re building it for.

Would this title be more fun alone or with friends?Answer: It’s built for co-op, so people that do want to play with others will have a blast, but us single-player RPG gamers can have our fun too.

Games you recently played;

All of them.

That’s what Bashiok said. What do you think? Does anyone honestly consider Diablo III a casual game suitable for non-gamers? I wouldn’t have said so, but Bashiok’s answers aren’t entirely crazy… are they?